Dentist Times Owners Club this week launches a new series of interviews with dental practice owners from across the country, exploring their career pathways, successes, and ambitions for the future.
This week we begin with KUNAL THAKKER, chief executive of Tooth Club, which has 19 sites across the country.
He speaks to editor, JO MAKOSINSKI, about falling into dentistry ‘by accident’ and his aim to ‘disrupt’ the market.
Q: When did you first decide on a career in dentistry?
A: Interestingly, I’m not a dentist.
I began my career in banking, spending 10 years at Goldman Sachs, followed by five years at HSBC.
Dentistry wasn’t an obvious path for me, but the motivation came from personal experience.
Like many people, I hated going to the dentist as a child. Those experiences stayed with me and sparked a strong desire to challenge the conventional way dentistry was delivered in the UK.
That’s where Tooth Club was born.
From the start, we wanted to be bold and different.
Our clinics don’t look, or feel, like traditional dental practices.
When you walk in, you’re greeted by a warm, friendly team; the space smells good, looks aesthetically pleasing; and you’re offered your favourite drink.
Once you’re in the chair, you can relax, put on your headphones, and watch your favourite Netflix episode.
Dentistry doesn’t have to feel clinical or intimidating.
We made a conscious decision to be high-street based so we’re accessible; to remove phones from clinics so teams can focus entirely on patients, and to be fully digital and genuinely patient-centric.
Like many people, I hated going to the dentist as a child. Those experiences stayed with me and sparked a strong desire to challenge the conventional way dentistry was delivered in the UK
Q: Tell us about your early career
A: I started working at a very young age and watching my parents work long hours in their shop gave me a strong work ethic early on.
I helped with everything – paper rounds, unloading cash-and-carry deliveries, stocking fridges, and working behind the till.
At 16, I worked at TK Maxx, and later Woolworths, while completing my A-levels and degree.
Those roles taught me a huge amount about retail, scale, and customer experience, which has heavily influenced how we run Tooth Club today.
During my degree, I also spent a year working in HR at TK Maxx’s head office.
While I enjoyed working with people, I realised HR wasn’t the right long-term career for me.
After graduating, I received nine offers from top investment banks and chose Goldman Sachs.
I spent 10 years there in the corporate world, learning discipline, structure, and how to build scalable businesses and many of those learnings have translated directly into dentistry and the way Tooth Club operates.
We made a conscious decision to be high-street based so we’re accessible; to remove phones from clinics so teams can focus entirely on patients, and to be fully digital and genuinely patient-centric
Q: What made you decide to buy your first practice?
A: The first practice happened almost by accident.
A close friend of mine, who is a dentist, wanted to buy a practice, but didn’t know how to run a business.
At the same time, I wanted to start my own business, but knew nothing about dentistry.
It became a natural partnership.
I surrounded myself with brilliant people and invested a lot of time learning the industry.
While I’m not clinically trained, I made it my responsibility to deeply understand dentistry, how practices operate, and what patients and clinicians truly need.
I spent 10 years there in the corporate world, learning discipline, structure, and how to build scalable businesses and many of those learnings have translated directly into dentistry and the way Tooth Club operates
Q: How has your business developed and grown since then?
A: We sold our first practices to a dental corporate, which was a significant milestone.
It allowed me to leave banking and focus on dentistry full time.
Many people told me I was mad to leave a safe career, but I was driven by a strong belief that UK dentistry needed disrupting.
In 2020, we built our first greenfield site and, shortly after, COVID hit.
It brought challenges and plenty of scepticism, but we used that period to refine exactly what Tooth Club stood for.
The culture and values we defined then still guide every decision we make today.
We now operate 19 sites, with a continued focus on greenfield development.
In many ways, it still feels like the mission is only just getting started.
Many people told me I was mad to leave a safe career, but I was driven by a strong belief that UK dentistry needed disrupting
Q: What have been the main challenges of owning and growing your business?
A: Business is never a straight line. There are constant ups and downs.
Macro-economic pressures, such as inflation, rising minimum wage, and increased National Insurance, have impacted all businesses, and we’re no exception.
However, our global footprint across South Africa and India has helped us adapt and remain resilient.
Recruitment has also been a major challenge, particularly finding the right people.
Service standards in the UK have declined across many sectors, and dentistry is no different.
We’ve had to work hard to protect and deliver a consistent, high-quality patient journey across every site.
Ultimately, everything we do comes back to one goal: giving patients a better, more-human experience of dentistry
Q: What are your future plans for your practices?
A: Our priority is staying true to our culture and values.
If we ever have to choose between being the biggest or the best, we will choose the best every time.
We plan to continue expanding our footprint across the UK through greenfield sites and to keep challenging the traditional dental model.
Ultimately, everything we do comes back to one goal: giving patients a better, more-human experience of dentistry.